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A great solution to a problem that I didn't even realise existed!

Oh no, no heating!============When I moved into my house I realised that I'd not noticed that there was no heating in the kitchen when I had been viewing the house prior to the purchase! Oops! On top of that, there was no wall space to fit one either, and because the rest of the house was central heated, the kitchen was a seriously cold spot. I started to chat to an electrician friend of mine, and he suggested one of these heaters, which I'd never known existed previously.

Plinth Heaters=========The unit is a blow/fan heater which is fixed into the low level plinth below any kitchen floor cupboard, all the mechanism hidden behind and the fronts being available in a variety of finishes to either contrast or to match your units. The cost of my heater, which is 2kw, was around £90 plus fitting, so it's not a cheap option, but it was undoubtedly the answer to my problem so I went ahead. It is fitted by cutting a hole in the wooden plinth to the size of the heater and placing the body of the heater through the hole and the face sits against the plinth, it's only a couple on millimetres in depth so it doesn't stand too proud, it looks really neat and discreet, especially if you pick a closely matching colour. If you were to go for a contrasting colour, the look would be fine because the design of the face of the heater is quite unfussy. There are two areas of mesh where the heat blows through, two buttons to select one or two kw, and a main on/off button.

This heater was ideal for my kitchen as it could be fitted to the plinth beneath the sink unit which is situated at the end of the rectangular room, and the heat blows right into the room.

The size of the face of the heater is approximately 500 x 100mm, so in a standard sized plinth it sits with around 25mm above and below.

Is it any good?========= Mine is a 2kw, which in reality proved to be over-specced for my kitchen, which is not overly big. I only use the heater with the 1kw button pressed, as with both buttons pressed it just becomes a bit stifling. If I'm honest, I'm not really a fan (sorry for the pun) of fan heaters - I do find that they quickly become a bit too much, somehow "all-or-nothing" - too hot when blowing fully but quick to let the room go cold. I also find that they give a somehow 'dry' heat which can become a bit nauseating over any length of time. However, in this instance I'm much more forgiving, primarily, I think, because I know that this heater represents my only chance at heating my kitchen!

The heater is quick and effective. I initially set it up with a timer switch, so that the kitchen would be heated when I came downstairs on a winters' morning, but the speed with which this heats my room is such that the timer arrangement became obsolete. I switch the heater on in the morning and the room is comfortable in minutes - from a freezing situation, if you imagine what an unheated room on a frosty morning is like.

Staying in control=========== The main on/off switch is a square push button about 20mm x 20mm, and is actually described as a "kick switch", so it is designed to be operated by the foot. It's illuminated when on, if it's not easy enough to target, and it has a pleasing click on and off, very easy to operate. As I said, I am more than happy with my heater on the 1kw setting, but in a larger space where it was necessary to switch between the two, this would be a hands-and-knees operation as these buttons are smaller and close together.

Overall=====This heater was a great solution to my dilemma and even bearing in mind the cost, I'd say it was one of the best 'big' purchases I've made since moving in. The heater isn't the most economical, being the blow-heater type, but in truth it is so effective that I only ever use it in short bursts. If your situation is similar to mine, then I would have no hesitation in suggesting that you look at this brand, as it is a very effective piece of equipment.